PODCASTS

Tag: #familylifeinterview
Churches and Political Actions – Kim Roberts – 8/29/24

Churches and Political Actions – Kim Roberts – 8/29/24

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Churches and Political Actions

A Family Life Interview with Kim Roberts

Many churches and denominations can be labeled as supportive of one side of the political spectrum or the other. Others avoid politics at all costs.

Part of the reason congregations avoid actions and speech related to electoral politics is fear of risking their non-profit status. However, federal law and IRS regulations do not silence Christian entities which want to promote voting and motivate their people into political action.

Family Life News asked reporter Kim Roberts to detail her research into what is and isn’t allowed when churches and campaigns overlap. Christian individuals can always be active with promoting or opposing a candidate, but when it comes to 501(c)3 organizations, they have to stay non-partisan about candidates. Yet churches and other religious ministries are free to speak out on public issues that weigh on the ballot box. There are no IRS consequences for churches to hold candidate forums, carry out voter registration or get-out-the-vote efforts, or offer rides to the polls. In fact, as you will hear in this conversation, the Church throughout history has been vibrant and vocal in the political and social issues around them.

Kim Roberts, a reporter for the Christian journalism organization Ministry Watch, also discusses how local, state and national candidates reach out to churches, in order to influence their members to vote a certain way. Also, political and culture-fight organizations are finding ways to motivate people of faith to elect certain candidates or stand for particular political issues.

Kim Roberts, MinistryWatch.com

Kim Robert’s detailed article “Church and Politics: What’s Allowed?” is available from www.MinistryWatch.com.  She also has other reporting on many faith-based events and issues.

Among the resources for congregations and church leaders — and other groups — she mentions in this podcast:

  • An IRS document, detailing the distinctions for 501(c)3 organizations on partisan politicking (not allowed) and lobbying (allowed)
  • Election guides for congregational planning from the NAACP and the Alliance Defending Freedom
  • Turning Point USA’s TPFaith efforts to motivate political and cultural action by conservative and mid-spectrum Christians
  • Black Church PAC’s plans to carry out a massive voter mobilization effort this fall
  • A political science professor’s observation that it is extremely rare that the IRS revokes a church’s charitable status, even if they carry out activities that lean solidly toward one candidate or one political party
Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box – 8/27/24

Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box – 8/27/24

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Elections: Christian voter turnout falls short at the ballot box

One public opinion poll says one-third of Christian voters stay home on election day and don’t cast ballots.

A Christian social advocate says people of faith who choose not to practice what he calls their “Biblical Citizenship” are instead handing over their influence to other groups who do not share the same values.

Executive Director Jason McGuire of the New York Family Foundation says other constituencies have voter turnout that tops 90 percent for every election.

 

This week (8/27/2024) Family Life News is airing (and podcasting) a series of extended interviews giving a deeper dive into this year’s elections, beyond the individual candidates and campaigns.

In this conversation about Christians’ roles to shape government, McGuire also talks about:

  • Biblical mandates for faithful interaction with voting, campaigns and social action
  • Why some Christians believe they should avoid all of politics and partisanship
  • How Christians should consider an entire ballot and its consequences, not just the presidential choices
  • What a proposed Constitutional amendment in New York State could mean for Christ-centered citizens, people who hold traditional values, and all of their neighbors too
  • An effort to increase Christian turnout for early voting and on November 5 locally and in all 50 states, and how to sign up for non-partisan e-mail reminders

 

PA as a swing state, and the narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/24

PA as a swing state, and the narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/24

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PA as a swing state, and a narrow slice of undecided voters – 8/26/2024

 

In this special Family Life Interview, political scientist Mark Caleb Smith analyzes how the two major political parties will need to focus on about 5% of eligible voters, and to push huge turnout among their own base voters — in order to win the presidential race, seats on Capitol Hill, and other November races.

Dr. Smith also gives his insights into Pennsylvania’s role as perhaps the most-signficant among a handful of “swing” states in this election battle, and why Gov. Josh Shapiro was not the running mate on the Democratic ticket.

 

 

Dr. Mark Caleb Smith is dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Cedarville University, where he is also professor of political science.

Cedarville is a Christian university in southwestern Ohio.

 
Prolife Pregnancy Centers vs the New York Attorney General – 8/15/24

Prolife Pregnancy Centers vs the New York Attorney General – 8/15/24

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…. A MAJOR HEARING ABOUT “ABORTION PILL REVERSAL” …. IN BUFFALO THIS THURSDAY…..

 

A number of pro-life organizations are suing New York’s Attorney General. They argue that threats of legal actions by Letitia James and her office will seek to unconstitutionally silence their advice to clients who start on Mifepristone to chemically end a pregnancy, but then have second thoughts. The state sent letters to the pregnancy care center, threatening prosecution if they provide information about abortion-drug reversal processes to people who visit their clinics.

The Alliance Defending Freedom law group represents those centers and sought an injunction against the Attorney General. That hearing was today (August 15, 2024). Prior to this court hearing, Family Life news producer Greg Gillispie got a preview from ADF attorney Gabriella McIntyre.

 

The ADF statement about the case is here from their website ADFLegal.org.

 

Family Life News also reached out to the Attorney General’s media team, offering to interview James or her spokesperson.

This podcast post will be updated when we have their response.

 
Vocabulary & Tone matter, to communicate Faith & Values – 8/05/24

Vocabulary & Tone matter, to communicate Faith & Values – 8/05/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:12 — 8.5MB)

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How to “word” an Abortion Debate, to be more likely to change hearts and minds…..

A Christian public-relations specialist says people with a particular “take” on the pro-life/pro-abortion debate — or any other contentious cultural issue — would do well to choose productive tones and words to influence people who disagree. People can use productive vocabulary when we speak, and listen for accurate or inaccurate wording in speeches, news coverage and public debate.

Thomas Ciesielka has recommended a number of experts for other Family Life interviews on multiple”hot topics”. Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie asked if he would do his own interview, about the best processes and techniques that shape public conversation.

Ciesielka says it is vital to be intentional and conscientious in choosing the wording of your statements and questions. Such choices determine whether you earn a hearing, then ultimately whether you can win or lose the argument.

Pennsylvania native Tom Ciesielka has a quarter-century of experience in public relations and business development. After working at another PR agency which wanted him to work for clients which violated his personal and religious values, he founded TC Public Relations which centers its media and messaging services toward Christian groups, pro-life organizations, and other nonprofits with traditional values:
Strategies for Presidential and Senate Races: National and in PA — Jeff Bloodworth

Strategies for Presidential and Senate Races: National and in PA — Jeff Bloodworth

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A Family Life Interview: Political Strategies, in Changeable Times — 7/29/2024

A week ago, Erie-based political scientist Jeff Bloodworth offered us analysis of how the Democratic Party is handling a quick conversion of its ticket for the presidential and vice-presidential campaign.

During today’s Family Life Noon Report, Professor Bloodworth surveys options and strategies available to the Republicans, in light of Joe Biden’s withdrawal from seeking reelection. During this conversation, he says the GOP has immediate opportunities to allow the Democrats to publicly try to sort out its winning ticket. The political history professor at Gannon University also zooms in on three Pennsylvanians with prominent roles heading into the 2024 general elections:

  • Governor Josh Shapiro, considered by many to be a likely candidate to run for his party nationally this fall
  • Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey Junior, whose prospects for the U.S. Senate may be hampered by his vocal support for President Biden before and after the consequential June debate
  • Republican Senate challenger Dave McCormick, whom Bloodworth says could campaign on whether Casey was telling the truth to his constituents or prioritizing his own political party’s interests

Dr. Bloodworth also gives us his current evaluation of how the 2024 results will shape up — two options, subject to potentially more week-by-week swings in political trends as have happened every week so far this summer.

 

FOR FURTHER LISTENING:

In addition to this interview about likely Republican strategies, a parallel conversation about Democratic strategies [online here] is also available from the “Family Life News” podcasts from the Family Life Now mobile app, most other podcast platforms, and on the NEWS tab at www.FamilyLife.org.

     

“Doing Church” in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt – 7/25/24

“Doing Church” in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt – 7/25/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:11 — 14.0MB)

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“Doing Church” — “Being Church” — in the Aftermath of an Assassination Attempt

A Family Life Interview

For much of the nation, so much has happened in a two-week period, that the news-cycle has moved on from the assassination attempt in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

However, for the people of that immediate region an hour north of Pittsburgh, the trauma and the questions that started a mere two Saturdays ago will continue for quite some time.

Local churches there are responding — and will, into the long term.

Our Greg Gillispie talked with regional pastor Tom Harmon, asking about Christians’ local response, to an internationally-famous incident. Theirs is among many local congregations of multiple traditions and denominations reaching out in faithful responses in the aftermath of this shooting.

 

The Rev. Dr. Tom Harmon is executive presbyter for Beaver-Butler Presbytery, a network of 60 congregations in western Pennsylvania.

The organization to which Dr. Harmon refers is “Search for Common Ground”. The USA component of this worldwide movement released a public statement regarding the shooting of Donald Trump and three attendees at the Butler rally. The organization’s website is www.SFCG.org

Family Life News seeks to bring a Christian Worldview to what’s happening in New York, Pennsylvania, across the country, and around the world with 12 daily newscasts, special features, podcasts, and extended interviews like this one.

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